The controversial Dale Farm travellers' site in Crays Hill is still growing in size, parish councillors have said.

A meeting of Ramsden Crays Parish Council heard claims last night that large caravans are still seen arriving at the site off Oak Lane, Crays Hill, as more mobile homes have been moved on in the past few months.

Basildon Council was also attacked for adjourning the development control and traffic management committee meeting on June 8 after actor Corin Redgrave collapsed from a heart attack.

Councillor Roy Reeve said: "It was completely out of order to cancel the meeting because of what happened.

"He was an outsider who does not know about the mundane things that happen here and was told what to say by the travellers and it must have cost thousands to rearrange the venue."

The district council was blasted for ignoring questions about the camp from the parish council at the meeting in the Parish Hall, London Road, Crays Hill. Members heard how Basildon Council has since apologised and vowed to improve its responses.

However, parish council chairman David McPhereson-Davis said questions about action over an illegally developed warehouse at the authorised Oak Lane site and allegations of raw sewage being pumped into ditches along Oak Road, remain unanswered.

He said: "We have a problem with the planning department, particularly head of service Graeme Bloomer who is not responding to correspondence on specific matters.

"It would not be acceptable within the parish council, perhaps because we are small and do things properly, but these are professional officers."

He said Basildon Council would be seen as "laughable" if it did not go the "whole hog" and vote for an eviction at tonight's resumed meeting.

The comments were made after councillors voted to reject two fresh planning applications for plots at Dale Farm that are currently subject to a planning inquiry to be heard in July.

Their objections will be passed to Basildon Council which has the final say.